Paper containers



June 12, 1956 E. A. MISCH PAPER CONTAINERS Filed May 20, 1954 R. H U m 6 WW y WW m m A u a M 4 b f 5 2 J m N w l|||||V |+I.

United States Patent O PAPER CONTAINERS Ethel A. Misch, Port Clinton, Ohio Application May 20, 1954, Serial No. 431,085

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-17) This invention relates to paper containers of the type used in the packaging and transportation of liquids of various types.

The paper container has recently come of importance in the distribution of all types of commodities and is now widely used in the dispensing of liquids such as milk, having been found to have many points of utility in the distribution field.

A container of this type is disclosed in Patent 2,047,891, granted to Henry Scott on July 14, 1936. The present invention relates to a container which, in its major features of construction, is identical with that disclosed in the patent referred to but which differs therefrom in certain improved features which render to it an increased utility to the end user.

This invention relates more particularly to a container having an improved means for determining the liquid content thereof which may be provided as a part of the opening means of the conainer or as an independent means on one portion of the container.

In the manufacture of a blank which is eventually to be folded into the form of a container such as contemplated, a portion thereof is incised to form a combination vision and access strip or tab, the opening or starting edge of the strip being defined by a cut with the upper end thereof uncut to form thereby a hinge portion about which the strip swings for opening and closing as well as for retaining the strip in physical contact with the container for reuse.

Subsequent to the formation of the blank and the access incision which defines the initial opening point of the strip referred to, a paper sheet, which is rectangular in shape, or approximately so, is secured to that surface of the blank which is eventually to comprise the inner surface of the container, this paper sheet underlying the strip defined by the incisions in the container wall and being adhesively secured to said wall surface continuously around the container strip.

The container strip extends vertically through the major portion of the height of the container.

Formed centrally of and at the upper end of the sheet which underlies the strip is a second or inner tab of small size and hingedly connected to the covering sheet along one uncut edge, the hinged connection between the small tab and sheet directly underlying the hinged connection between the outer tab or strip and the container wall, and the tab and strip being secured together by means of an adhesive so as to be simultaneously movable. The inner surface of the outer or container strip is not otherwise adhesively secured to the outer surface of the underlying sheet so that the outer strip, and hence both tabs, may be readily lifted.

The pouring aperture in the inner sheet is normally closed by the inner tab and normally is located in the upper areas of the container for ready pouring of liquids. The outer strip, which comprises a portion of the container wall, serves not only to aid in opening the container for pouring, but also serves to reveal the window F" 2,750,096 Ice Patented June 12, 1956 in the side wall of the container for visual observation of the contents.

As a modification, the container may be made in its usual form, and the window and its concealing and protective strip may be in a side wall removed from that in which the pouring opening is formed.

In the drawing:

Fig. l shows in plan one of the novel blanks from which a container may be formed;

Fig. 2 shows in perspective the completed container in one form;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the attachment sheet to be secured to the blank;

Fig. 4 is a view of a portion of the inner surface of the blank showing the attachment sheet secured thereto;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view through the window section wall of a container taken at V-V on Fig. 6; and

Fig. 6 is a modified form of the container with the window in a side wall opposite to one containing the pouring opening.

The blank 10 itself need not be described in detail, and it may be stated that it is preferably formed from a web of paper by a stamping and scoring tool by means of which its margins are severed from the blank, and it is divided by scoring, as indicated at 11, into a plurality of relatively foldable panels.

During the blank forming operation a portion thereof is incised along the parallel lines 12 and 13, and the curved portion 14, to form the tear strip 15, this strip remaining connected to the body of the blank by the uncut portion indicated by the dotted line 16 at the top. The lines 12, 13 and 14 are not continuously incised but comprise a series of short aligned incisions separated by narrow webs of paper by which the strip is normally retained in position and appearing as an integral portion of the wall. The lower extremity of the strip is completely incised as at 17 to permit starting of the opening and tearing operation necessary to opening the container. The form and arrangement of the incisions may be varied as desired.

The pour opening tab 20, in the attachment sheet 21, is completely incised along the lines 23 and 24 before the sheet 21 is attached to the blank. During the incision of the tab 20 in sheet 21, an elongate opening 25 is blanked out of this sheet to form a Window opening. Subsequently, a film of transparent plastic material, such as Pliofilm or polyethylene film 26, is superimposed over said opening 25, and adhesively bound to the sheet 21 around the marginal edges of the film. The film 26 may be a small portion as indicated in Fig. 3 or extend through the width of the wall as in Fig. 5 as well as through a major portion of the height of the side wall portion of the blank or sheet 21. By means of the shading in Fig. 3 the extent of the coating of sheet 21 is indicated. After application of such coating, the sheet 21 is applied to the blank so as to underlie tab 20, as indicated in Fig. l, the margins of the attached sheet 21 being continuously attached to the blank.

With the completion of the above, the marginal flap 30 of the blank 10 is adhesively secured to the opposite margin of the blank, the blank being thus made tubular. Subsequently, an automatically operating mechanism will square out the blank, closing and sealing its bottom. It is then coated inside and out with a plastic-like coating of a leakproof substance. Later the container is filled, sealed and stapled for delivery. A consumer may readily open by lifting the tear strip 15 at the incised portion 17, tearing the margins along the incised lines 12 and 13, and breaking the seal. Lifting the tear strip 15 discloses the window 25 and the pouring opening or aperture.

In the modification, Fig. 6, the same procedure is followed for fabricating as above described, but the attachment sheet 21 will extend only to line 31, Fig. 3, and it will be adhesively attached to a side wall opposite to that Wall in which the pouring aperture is located.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A leak-proof container constructed from a foldable blank, said blank comprising a sheet of paper divided into panels by scorings, said panels adapted to be folded into angular relationship to each other and adhesively secured into sealed tubular form, said tubular form including an elongated outer tear strip formed in and extending through a major portion of the vertical length of a side wall thereof, said outer tear strip being permanently connected to said wall along an uncut portion forming a hinge therefore, a separate insert sheet underlying said tear strip, said insert having an elongated aperture underlying and extending parallel to said tear strip through a major portion of its length, the elongated aperture in said insert being sealed with a transparent film interposed between said insert and the inner side of said wall, said underlying insert being of substantially greater area than both said tear strip and aperture and being adhesively secured to the inner wall surface of the tubular form continuously around the said tear strip and aperture, said insert provided with an incised access tab hingedly connected thereto along an uncut edge underlying and parallel to the hinge portion of said outer tear strip, said access tab being smaller than said outer tear strip and permanently secured thereto to permit opening and closing of said container, the outer tear strip being otherwise unattached to said insert and said aperture closing film, and the inner wall portions, said tubular form being coated with a plastic-like coating.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which both the inner and outer tabs are retained in their closed positions until separation of the outer tab is obtained by tearing along its length.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 880,115 Ahrens Feb. 25, 1908 1,150,852 Davidson Aug. 24, 1915 2,107,613 Kotcher et al Feb. 8, 1938 2,153,911 Benedetti Apr. 11, 1939 2,200,818 Bergstein May 14, 1940 2,270,617 Bennett Jan. 20, 1942 2,288,914 Monroe July 7, 1942 2,336,088 Goodyear et al Dec. 7, 1943 2,731,188 Alden Jan. 17, 1956 

